Answer by Raakhee V. Menon: I belong to a community in India that is still matrilineal. There’s a basic difference between matrilineal and matriarchal. Many people tend to confuse between both or use one as a synonym for the other. They’re both different. A matriarchy is one where the head of the family is always…

Answer by Raakhee V. Menon: I believe that He is very much married. In all Nair ancestral homes, it was customary to have a serpent grove in the woods around the house. The idols kept for worship in these groves are those of Nagaraja (Vasuki), Nagayakshi and several other smaller idols representing their daughter, Nagakanyaka,…

Which castes are seen as higher castes and which are the lowest ones in Tamil Nadu and Kerala? Is he same rule applied in Karnataka and Andhra as well? Answer by Raakhee V. Menon: I am not too sure about the caste break-up in other states. But I do know a bit about how it…

Even though I knew Nair families were matrilinear, I assumed they would be still patriarchial, with men (brothers, uncles) controlling their affairs. As seen in the movie ‘Ozhimuri’ were Nair Matriarchs free to choose their paramours/husbands? Did they have choice in regular sambandhams? Answer by Raakhee V. Menon: I believe that it’s unfair to classify…

Answer by Raakhee V. Menon: Among the others mentioned on other answers is the one I belong to. I belong to the Hindu Nair community of Kerala, India. We follow a matrilineal system of inheritance. Although much has changed now regarding the inheritance of property, the social aspects still remain the same. The bloodline moves…

Answer by Raakhee V. Menon: The dowry system is not a common thing among all strata of society in South India. It differs from region to region, from community to community. I belong to the Nair community in Kerala. Typically, our folk prefer to marry from around our district (Ernakulam) or from the northern districts…

Answer by Raakhee Venugopal: Pride. Pure…unadulterated pride. Especially if you have grown up hearing stories of heroism and valor of your ancestors. The sheer abundance of wealth that has rested in the family’s hands since generations…the money, the gold, the landed property. And to know that in spite of being redistributed over many many generations…